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Hallmark Networks
Hallmark Networks is an entertainment station based in Los Angeles, founded in June 1995 as the Hallmark Entertainment Network division of Crown Media. The station operates Hallmark television networks, including Hallmark Channel, Hallmark Movies & Mysteries, Hallmark Drama and Hallmark Movies Now. About Hallmark Networks It also operates the international division named by Halmark International Networks, which operates Halmark-branded worldwide television channels, as well as UltraToons Network and Retro Toons Channel, only in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Central and Eastern Europe, Germany, Luxembourg, the Middle East, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Switzerland. Hallmark Networks and Hallmark International Networks were also owned by Hallmark Cards under its Crown Media Holdings subsidiary. It was formerly known as Hallmark Entertainment Network, which operated from 1995 to 2005, when it was renamed Hallmark Networks after Sparrowhawk Media Group purchased Hallmark's international channels from that same year. On November 15, 2014, Crown Media Holdings announced that it plans to close Hallmark Networks and its Hallmark International Networks division after the company's second 19-year operation, and that networks would be second-hand by Crown Media. On December 31, 2014, Hallmark Networks and its Hallmark International Networks division were officially closed. History Hallmark Entertainment Network (1995-2005) Crown Media thus shifted directions in 1994 with the sale of the cable systems. Also that year, Hallmark Cards purchased RHI Entertainment for $365 million getting a 1,800 plus hours film library then formed Hallmark Entertainment as RHI's parent corporation. Hallmark Entertainment then formed Hallmark Entertainment Network, Inc. in mid-1995 to start the Hallmark Entertainment Network (HEN) pay TV channel in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The company waited to start a domestic channel due to lack of carriage space and its programming domestic rights were held by others. The Benelux channel launched in June 1995. , a Hallmark Entertainment Network unit.]] Hallmark Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company started a partnership in May 1998 to launch the Kermit Channel in Asia and Latin America expect to start in September 1998 with distribution handled by Hallmark Entertainment Network. The HEN channels had internationally about six million subscribers at this time. Crown Media was reformed into Crown Media Holdings, Inc. in 2000 as part of a re-organizational plan that included the company going public. Crown Media Holdings was formed as a subsidiary of Hallmark Entertainment (Hallmark). Hallmark transferred Hallmark Entertainment Network, Inc. and its interest in the Odyssey Network into Crown Media Holdings. While its channels had 50 million subscribers at the IPO, the company had not made a profit yet with Hallmark Entertainment Network, Inc. losing $35.5 million in 1998 on revenue of $23.7 million, and in 1999 it lost $56.7 million on revenue of $31.9 million. EM.TV had Henson Company withdrawal from the Kermit Channel partnership with Crown Media. In November 2001, Kermit Channel Asia except for in India was shut down while Kermit blocks remained on the Asian HEN. The channel was discontinued in India in December 2001. When Crown took control of and renamed the Odyssey Network channel to the Hallmark Channel in August 2001 with plans to quickly add original programming, the international Hallmark Entertainment Network soon did the same. Hallmark Networks (2005-2014) In 2005, Hallmark Entertainment put the Hallmark Channels up for sale, but with disappointing offers with drew the channels from the market. The European media library rights and Hallmark Channels in international markets were sold for about $242 million in 2005 to Sparrowhawk Media, a private group backed by Providence Equity Partners and 3i, and was renamed as Hallmark Networks as of the same year. Halmark International Networks In 2007, the international children's entertainment division Hallmark International Networks, of Hallmark Networks, was also formed as a joint venture between Crown Media Holdings and Cartoonverse Networks. From 2008 and 2009 until 2014, Hallmark International Networks began operating global channels under the Hallmark brand, as well as UltraToons Network and Retro Toons Channel, in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Central and Eastern Europe, Germany, Luxembourg, Middle East, Netherlands, New Zealand, Russia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Switzerland. Closure In November 2014, Crown Media Holdings confirmed that it would close Hallmark Network and its division Hallmark International Networks on December 31, 2014, with most channels completely closed as of January 1, 2015. Channels Current * Hallmark Channel * Hallmark Movies & Mysteries * Hallmark Drama * Hallmark Movies Now Former * Hallmark Movie Channel * Odyssey Network * Kermit Channel References See also * Crown Media Holdings Category:Hallmark Category:Crown Media Category:Crown Media Holdings Category:Hallmark Networks